J.K. Rowling helps fan fighting her own 'Dementors' of depression

J.K. Rowling is known for her words of wisdom, written on the page or on her Twitter feed, and early Tuesday morning she offered some more when a fan asked the author for help chasing away the “Dementors” of depression.

“[C]ould you please teach me how to scare the Dementors that have been living under my bed? I’m tired of being sad all the time,” a fan tweeted at Rowling. “I’m tired of panick attacks and my head aching and those dark circles under my eyes.”

@jk_rowling could you please teach me how to scare the dementors that have been living under my bed? i'm tired of being sad all the time

In Harry Potter, Dementors first appear in The Prisoner of Azkaban and are described as dark, foul beings who “drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them.” Rowling writes, “Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you.”

As noted by The Associated Press, Rowling has battled her fair share of depression and the Dementors were inspired by her own experiences with mental health. “I have never been remotely ashamed of having been depressed,” she said. “Never.”